Japanese symbol for “extinction”
消滅
しょうめつ
Romaji: shoumetsu
extinction; extinguishment; disappearance; vanishing
In Japanese, extinction is 消滅, read しょうめつ (shoumetsu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, vi, vs extinction; extinguishment; disappearance; vanishing; termination; lapse
- n, vi, vs annihilation (physics)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “extinction”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 絶滅 | ぜつめつ zetsumetsu | extinction; extermination |
| 断絶 | だんぜつ danzetsu | extinction (e.g. of a family); dying out; discontinuation |
| 死滅 | しめつ shimetsu | extinction; annihilation; destruction |
| 消去 | しょうきょ shoukyo | extinction |
| 廃絶 | はいぜつ haizetsu | extinction; discontinuation |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 消費 | しょうひ shouhi | consumption; expenditure; spending |
| 解消 | かいしょう kaishou | cancellation; liquidation; resolution |
| 消防 | しょうぼう shoubou | fire fighting |
| 消化 | しょうか shouka | digestion (of food) |
| 取り消し | とりけし torikeshi | cancellation; withdrawal; abolition |
| 破滅 | はめつ hametsu | ruin; destruction; fall |
| 絶滅 | ぜつめつ zetsumetsu | extinction; extermination |
| 滅亡 | めつぼう metsubou | downfall; ruin; collapse |
See also: Chinese symbol for “extinction”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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